Aggression
AggressionTestosterone Equals Aggression or Aggression Equals Testosterone?
High levels of testosterone seem to encourage behavior apparently intended to dominate -- to enhance one's status over -- other people. Sometimes dominant behavior is aggressive, it is apparent intent being to inflict harm on another person, but often dominance is expressed nonaggressively. Sometimes dominant behavior takes the form of antisocial behavior, including rebellion against authority and law breaking.
One good way to see how it acts on the human body is to perform a test to see if testosterone equals aggression or if it is the other way around. Take a measurement of testosterone several times a day; then monitor the test subject to see how it reacts to certain things. Testosterone not only affects behavior but also responds to it. The act of competing for dominant status affects testosterone levels in two ways. First, testosterone rises in the face of a challenge, as if it were an anticipatory response to impending competition. Second, after the competition, testosterone rises in winners and declines in losers.
Of greater importance are the facts that Sapolsky states in his essay that leads one to wonder if �testosterone equals aggression� or if �aggression equals testosterone.�1 He says that numerous studies have been done to figure it out; but have never been able to come to a scientific conclusion. In his essay he goes on to state his view...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.